Finding Trivia Gold in Pop Culture Garbage: Great Questions from 6 Terrible Movies

I read a very interesting article this weekend in the New York Times movie section, entitled “Catch That Reference? There’ll Be a Quiz.” The gist here was that many movies contain veiled references to other works, directors and eras, and that viewers who catch these subtle hat tips will enjoy the films better. This got me thinking about something which, as a professional trivia host, I already spend an awful lot of time on anyway, which is how to find great trivia tidbits in movies. However, as I thought about it more, I realized that I actually spend WAY more time on something else: sifting through the unbelievably huge pile of pop culture garbage out there, in order to find the juicy trivia morsels people will know and enjoy.

Trust me, this is not as easy as you think. Take a look at some of the high-budget Hollywood movies which have come out in the first half of 2011:

1) Just Go With It

2) Kung Fu Panda 2

3) No Strings Attached

4) Gnomeo & Juliet

5) Hall Pass

6) The Green Hornet

Now, all of these movies had high promotional budgets, star actors and/or box office success. However, did you or anybody you know actually SEE any of these movies? If you did, were they THAT memorable that you are able to answer trivia about them, either subtle or overt? I’m going to venture that the answer is no, because these movies were terrible; I will also take it a step further, and assume that none of these films will have much cultural staying power. However, there are still good trivia questions to be mined here, if you embrace the awesomely bad aspects of each movie.

For example, basic plot summaries:

1) “Which terrible 2011 romantic comedy pairs Adam Sandler with Jennifer Aniston?”

2) “Name the only animated sequel to have a voice provided by Jack Black?”

3) “What was the Natalie Portman/Ashton Kutcher hookup flick?”

4) “What was that animated movie about lawn gnomes?”

5) “What was that awful movie were Owen Wilson is given a week off of his marriage?”

6) “What was the first 3-D comic book superhero movie to be released in 2011?”

Or how about the official movie taglines, which we were bombarded with relentlessly upon each film’s release:

1) “Sometimes a guy’s best wingman… is a wingwoman.”

2) “Prepare for the return of awesomeness.”

3) “Friendship has its benefits.”

4) “A little adventure goes a lawn way.”

5) “Good for one week off marriage.”

6) “Breaking the law to protect it.”

Chances are, given the amount of promotion each of these movies received, the average pop culture trivia enthusiast would have a reasonable expectation of figuring out the answers to the above questions – even without having seen the films.  So long as they’re “getable,” trivia questions about terrible movies – new or old – are always an option.

Can you think of any other terrible movies which would actually make for some great trivia questions?